Sleeping Argentineans need to wake up at Stadio Olimpico

Lazio host Fiorentina tonight in the Serie A, but their star Argentinean imports are yet to hit the ground running.

They probably expected quite different starts - ones filled with goals and decisive plays. However, for now, both Lucas Beltran in Fiorentina and Valentin "Taty" Castellanos in Rome have struggled, even though in their recent matches, the two Argentine strikers have shown strong signs of improvement to their respective coaches. The former River Plate player, Beltran, scored his first goals in purple during the UEFA Europa Conference League match against Cukaricki, demonstrating that he is in good form at the moment. Meanwhile, the former Girona forward, Castellanos, proved decisive in Lazio's victory over Atalanta on 8 October, rekindling Biancocelesti's ambitions in the league standings in a direct clash.

However, tonight's match at the Olimpico is likely to be more crucial for Viola's number 9, who faces a sterner test against an opponent of a much higher calibre than the modest Serbian team they faced on Thursday. The spotlight of the critics will also be on him. Having already broken a goal drought that lasted for 517 minutes, dating back to his last match with River on July 29 (against Racing), was an important step forward for him. It's not a coincidence that even though Coach Vincenzo Italiano usually emphasizes a rotating approach to his attacking lineup, it might be Taty's turn again tonight. If he scores another goal (his first in Serie A, of course), it would mark the first time he has scored in consecutive matches since 13 June, when he scored in two successive games, including a brace against Banfield.

Both teams are competing for a spot in Europe, but Lazio is lagging behind, with four losses already this season. Expectations for Lazio have been high since their second-place finish last season, but with the departure of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and a drop in Ciro Immobile's performance, coach Maurizio Sarri has struggled to find a consistent lineup and performance. The recent heavy defeat to Feyenoord in the Champions League has increased pressure on Sarri, who is in need of a win.

On the other hand, Fiorentina is coming off a convincing victory over Serbian team Cukaricki in the Europa Conference League but suffered a loss to Empoli in Serie A, preventing them from climbing the standings and challenging the top teams.

Lazio have struggled against in recent head-to-head matches, with just one win in their last 13 encounters and nine losses. Fiorentina has a strong away record this season, earning ten points from their first five away league fixtures, including a 3-1 win against Napoli.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 10

Friday

Genoa - Salernitana 1-0 (1-0)

/Gudmundsson 35/

Saturday

Sassuolo - Bologna 1-1 (1-1)

/Boloca 44 - Zirkzee 3/

Lecce - Torino 0-1 (0-1)

/Buongiorno 41/

Juventus - Hellas Verona 1-0 (0-0)

/Cambiaso 90+7/

Sunday

Cagliari - Frosinone 4-3 (0-2)

/Oristanio 72, Makoumbou 76, Pavoletti 90+4, 90+6 - Soule 23, 37, Brescianini 49/

Monza - Udinese 1-1 (1-0)

/Colpani 27 - Lucca 67/

Inter - Roma 1-0 (0-0)

/Thuram 81/

Napoli - Milan 2-2 (0-2)

/Politano 50, Raspadori 63 - Giroud 22, 31/

Monday

20.30: (4.90) Empoli (3.60) Atalanta (1.75)

22.45: (2.35) Lazio (3.45) Fiorentina (3.20)

***odds are subject to change***